The Silmarillion

Set in a time far earlier than Tolkien's master works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, this is the epic history of the elves, and the grand story of the creation of Tolkien's magical world. The Lord of the Rings narrated the great events at the end of the Third Age; but the tales of The Silmarillion are legends deriving from a much deeper past, when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils. Never published in the author's lifetime, The Silmarillion is an essential compendium for all Tolkien fans. It will be published in five consecutive volumes, each completely unabridged. The series contains not only the Quenta Silmarillion, but four other short works: the Ainulindale, Valaquenta, Akallabeth and Of the Rings of Power.

Not for the faint of heart, nor for those who are intimidated by a long book. I personally think that The Silmarillion gives us a wider view of Middle-Earth, beyond the War of the Rings, but I loved LOTR and The Hobbit too. Again, not a book for the casual reader, but if you're a Tolkien nerd (like me :) and looking for more on Middle-Earth, give this one a try.

I liked it for sure, but it certainly more dry than Lord of the Rings. I also wish there was more than one map in the back of this book. I think I will only read this once because it doesn't quite get into the parts of LOTR that I liked the most.

For anyone looking for more stories and history of the Middle-earth in which The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit take place, this is a good place to start. Tolkien begins with a creation myth, then summarizes the various deities and holy figures of his reality. What follows is the First Age tale of Elves, Dwarves and eventually Men roaming Middle-earth and even Aman across the Sea, while they fight the Dark Lord Morgoth, who has stolen the Silmarilli, three precious jewels wrought by the Elves, and who seeks tyrannical dominion over their home. Tolkien's prose flows and resonates like no other; however, readers should not expect the same character development or narrative quality as in The Lord of the Rings. The Silmarillion is first and foremost a feigned historical account.

It's like the encyclopedia for middle earth. The Simarillion is definitely one of Toiken's greatest works. It's a little wordy but totally AWESOME!!

morrisonist
Oct 12, 2015

We are the chosen ones, we sacrifice our blood
We kill for honor
We are the holy ones our armor stained with blood
We killed the dragon
In glory we return, our destination's end
We slayed the dragon!
No more living in fear it's time to raise our king.
We made it happen we're the chosen ones!

We are the chosen ones, we sacrifice our blood
We kill for honor
We are the holy ones our armor stained with blood
We killed the dragon
We're the chosen ones!

Riding through thunder and lighting once again
We slayed the beast we brought an end
Now we have left the kingdom of the damned
Heroes of the day, legends forever!

We are the chosen ones, we sacrifice our blood
We kill for honor
We are the holy ones our armor stained with blood
We killed the dragon
We're the chosen ones!

It seems to me like a journey without end
So many years, too many battles
We've finally arrived, now we're standing at the gates
Heroes of the day, legends forever

In glory we return, our destination's end
We slayed the dragon
No more living in fear it's time to raise our king
We made it happen we're the chosen ones!

We are the chosen ones, we sacrifice our blood
We kill for honor
We are the holy ones our armor stained with blood
We killed the dragon
In glory we return, our destination's end
We slayed the dragon
No more living in fear it's time to raise our king
We made it happen we're the chosen ones!

We are the chosen ones, we sacrifice our blood
We kill for honor
We are the holy ones our armor stained with blood
We killed the dragon

Lord of the Rings was absolutely incredible, but The Silmarillion takes Tolkien to a whole new level. More in-depth than all of his works except Unfinished Tales and Narn I Chin Hurin, this covers the background on the War of the Ring, and allows many wonderful tales to unfold. Recommended to any Tolkien reader. Be prepared for even more fan debates, though. (And mentions of Ecthelion. Seriously, drowning in a fountain?)

Quotes

"Sit now there, and look out upon the lands where evil and despair shall come upon those thou lovest. Thou hast dared to mock me , and to question the power of Melkor, master of the fates of arda. Therefore, with my eyes thou shalt see,and with my ears, thou shalt hear, and never shalt thou move from this place until all is fulfilled to it's bitter end."-Morgoth

“Therefore Morgoth came, climbing slowly from his subterranean throne, and the rumour of his feet was like thunder underground. And he issued forth clad in black armour; and he stood before the King like a tower, iron-crowned, and his vast shield, sable on-blazoned, cast a shadow over him like a storm cloud." - Chapter 18: Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin